War veteran 'taunted to death'

A war veteran was found hanged on the day he was due in court for waving an air pistol at a gang of teenagers who were making his life a misery.

The body of Bill Clifford, 77, was found by police in the kitchen of his tiny home after he failed to appear before magistrates.

He had been tormented and taunted by the youths who banged on his door, spat in his garden, pushed eggs through his letter box and smashed his windows with stones.

Driven to the end of his tether over several months, he eventually resorted to brandishing the air pistol, and was arrested and charged.

His family believe the retired taxi driver - known as 'the gentle giant' because of his 6ft 6in frame and his willingness to help his elderly neighbours - simply could not face the shame of going to court.

In a letter to his sister Betty, 65, he had written that he had had enough and told her: 'We are not to have any tears.'

Yesterday she said: 'He was a lovely man and a good man. He would help anybody.

'But the yobs flung eggs at his door and spat over his garden. When he complained, one of the parents told him, "If I get hold of you, I will cut you up into piecesî. It's terrible. The kids were the end of him.'

Mr Clifford's brother Ray, who is Betty's twin, said: 'I think he was ashamed of having to go to court.

'He knew what he was going to do and hung himself. I can't believe parents will let their kids do what they do today without checking them. If that had happened in my day, I would have got a bloody good hiding.

'Bill was a right gentleman, a man from the old school. Discipline meant everything. His values in life were very high.

'If somebody was doing something wrong, he would say "Hey, what's your game?" He was a big man, he felt he should sort it out.'

Yesterday, neighbours said some of his tormentors had walked past

Mr Clifford's home laughing after finding out that he had died. One said: 'They stuck two fingers up at it and spat in the garden.'

At first, Mr Clifford had no problems when he moved to his onebedroomed housing association home at Laburnum Close, a neat cul de sac in Aldershot, Hampshire. The bachelor had left another part of the town because of the drug addicts living there.

But then, said his brother, the teenagers aged 11 to 16 began taunting Mr Clifford, the proud holder of three medals for his service with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in France and Belgium in World War Two.

'During the night, they would just hang around,' said Ray Clifford. 'They used to kick his door.

'They would push eggs through the letterbox and banged the door, frightening the life out of him. He used to chase them off. He was not prepared to take it lying down.

'They would taunt him knowing they would get a rise out of him. He rang the police but they said they could not do anything unless they caught them at it.

'If he had a problem, he would deal with it on his own. The night he got arrested he would not even phone his family or get a solicitor.'

Last month, a confrontation with the tearaways boiled out of control. Neighbour Jean Betts said: 'The gang is very destructive and vile-mouthed. One night, they started causing lots of trouble and two nights later it was even worse.

'Bill went out. I thought he was going to have a heart attack because he was in such a state.

'I heard him say "I'm going to get my gun". The police came and one of the kid's mothers turned up and was very foul-mouthed. The police had to take her round the corner to calm her down.'

Mr Clifford was charged with possessing the weapon and using it to intimidate. He died on May 3, shortly before he was due to be moved to new accommodation, but the tragedy has just emerged. His funeral is on Friday.

Next-door neighbour Eileen Bowron, 73, said: 'Bill was a good neighbour and friend. We will miss him. He kept the close tidy and would check everyone was safe.'

Yesterday, single mother Paula Cooke, a 35-year-old divorcee living round the corner, admitted her son Jamie Gibbons, 13, was one of those who tormented Mr Clifford.

She claimed, however, he had 'brought it on himself' and accused him of shouting at her daughter Lauren, ten, and threatening her with a whip.

Her son was nowhere to be seen yesterday although Mrs Cooke produced an angelic school photograph of him. 'He is excluded from school and is out with his mates,' she said. 'I admit he can be a bit of a nightmare and mouthy.

'My son has been in trouble. The kids would provoke Mr Clifford and I can't say he was not a part of that.'

Mrs Cooke admitted she was the woman who had to be restrained on the night of the air pistol incident. Hampshire Police refused to comment before an inquest on June 12.